Myths and Legends Tips

Read these 17 Myths and Legends Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Irish tips and hundreds of other topics.

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May the road rise to meet you; may the wind be always at your back; may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

There are many ancient beliefs surrounding Irish weddings. For example - Wednesday was believed to be the luckiest day to get married on while Saturday was seen as unlucky; Green was an unlucky colour to wear at a wedding (the ancient Irish believed that the faeries would 'get' you if you wore green and steal you away to the underworld!); and, if the mother-in-law broke a piece of cake over the bride's head as she entered the marriage home it was said that the 2 women would remain friends for life!

These are just some of the many Irish superstitions that surround getting married!

Celtic-Cultures is an on-line discussion group hosted by e-groups. You can join this fun and informative discussion group (great Irish folktales and history tidbits are often posted) by sending a blank message to Celtic-cultures-subscribe@eGroups.com

Trick-or-treating, today, very much an All-American tradition, was derived from the English (not Irish)tradition of ‘souling' where folk went round houses on All Souls Day (2nd November) asking for soul cakes. The more cakes they got the more prayers they'd promise to say on behalf of the givers' dead relatives.

One variation of this legend tells that St. Patrick went to the top of Croaghpatrick Mountain, where he fasted for forty days and forty nights. When he finished his fast, he rang a bell and all the snakes of Ireland came to him. He then banished them to the other side of the Atlantic. Since then, there have been no snakes in Ireland.

As with all folktales there are different versions. Another version says that he banished the snakes with his walking stick!

"Chronicle of Celtic Folk Customs" by Brian Day. The back cover reads as follows:

"Chronicle of Celtic Folk Customs contains over 450 customs of the Irish, Manx, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Breton Celts. This easy follow, day-to-day guide to past and current folk events features the celebrations, ceremonies, feasts, dances, games, crafts and superstitions which, along with many other aspects of folklore, constitute Celtic folk culture today.

Each custom is annotated with dates, times and directions, together with a description of events. The history, beliefs and attitudes associated with each custom are revealed, portraying the rich cultural diversity of the individual Celtic nations.

The shamrock is important to Ireland for two principal reasons:1. It is our national emblem (as the thistle is to the Scots)2. It symbolizes luck and hope (esp. became important after the devastation and loss of life which occurred in Ireland during the 1845-50 famine).

The myth of the Children of Lir is one of the most stirring in Irish folklore. Lirs' children were turned into swans and had many years of hardship to endure. To read more check out the article I wrote for Pagewise Inc. at:

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